Before and After Kitchen Remodel

Before and After: CrystalClear84's New Kitchen

When I purchased my fixer-upper back in 2009, I planned to invest every bit of my $8K first-time home buyer tax credit into the home. I understood that most of the budget would go towards the kitchen and bathroom, but I knew I'd have to keep costs low, as I didn't want to spend the entire $8K in the kitchen alone. I am fortunate to have a very skilled and generous family. I have an uncle who is a full-fledged contractor and family members who are quick learners and extremely hard workers. This was a true DIY project.

To hear more about the project and see the after photos, continue reading.

Say hello to my shiny new kitchen. I'm a very lucky (or spoiled, perhaps) girl with wonderful parents who gifted me with all new stainless steel GE appliances and black granite counter tops as a housewarming present. The cabinets were cleaned, sanded, painted, painted, and re-painted. All new cabinet hardware were purchased to complement the stainless steel appliances, in addition to new lighting fixtures.

View of sink before:View of sink after:

The sink and window area were not all that impressive and needed a little sprucing up. Leave it to my mom to go above and beyond. My handy mom replaced the window ledge with one that was much deeper, as she had once heard me say that I'd like to put plants on the window ledge. She also framed out the window with extra baseboards that were laying around. Go mom! New white blinds were installed to finish off the window makeover.

The granite supplier threw in a free under-mount sink (score!) and I purchased new faucet hardware to dress up the space. I love my new, very deep sink. In fact, there were dirty dishes in the sink when I took these pictures!

View across from oven:

I chose classic white subway tile for my back-splash, but opted for a herringbone pattern rather than the standard brick look.

View across from sink:

The small area next to my refrigerator holds my wine fridge and glasses. Well, there's my new kitchen and first-ever renovation experience in a nutshell. I have to say, I am extremely happy with my new kitchen and very thankful for my amazing family who helped tackle this renovation in just a few short weeks.